Alex Scott and Colin Kane waited for their comedy set to begin at the Combat Center’s Sunset Cinema.  The two comedians fiddled with their phones waiting for the show to begin.

The lights dimmed.

The crowd yelled.

Alex Scott opened up with his set.

Playing to a crowd of tough guys, especially Marines, can be daunting. It’s not a normal gig, but every show needs an opener and the Marines aboard the Combat Center got a self-described chameleon of comedy with Scott’s blue collar- middle class America routine.

“I feed off of the crowd,” Scott said. “I think that’s why they have me as a host. I’m a good judgment of character and I can set the tone. Today (the Marines) were a joyful and playful crowd — the best kind of crowd.”

The energy of a wild crowd pushes his own performance.

“I’m here to give back. I started comedy in the Air Force. I actually got on BET when I was in the Air Force,” said the former Air Force X-ray technician. “You all make it so I can be free to do what I do.”

Just like many have done before, Scott and Kane came to the Combat Center because they wanted to give back for the service members’ sacrifices. Their hopes were to get them out of the daily grind and give them a chance to relax and laugh for a while.

“Everyone I meet is so unique. (Marines) do stuff that people in the real world forget or just don’t think about,” said Kane after his set. “Some of the stuff (Marines) do is so serious, so balancing that with laughs is the best part.”

Kane’s set wasn’t for everyone. Regardless, if people didn’t laugh he offered them a chance to make an exit, although, attracting unwanted attention from an insult comic’s set is ill-advised.

“Get out if you didn’t laugh. Just go away. That was funny,” Colin would say as he stared at the audience, probably waiting for someone to head for the doors.

Although he has no military ties and no military background experience, he doesn’t need it. His job is to make people laugh to whatever extent and he excels at it.

“Honestly it’s not about me. It’s about making you guys laugh,” said Colin. “That’s my job, make people laugh.”

His set was raw. As an insult comic, Kane aims to be offensive, to cross the line over and over. The results are laughs and a spark of energy from the audience which fuels the very nature of why he is on stage.

“Just seeing (an audience) laugh is really what it comes down to. I mean my job is to go up there and make you laugh for a while,” Kane said. “I’ve always been a real guy. I’m an insult comic so I have messed up ideas, I’m a messed up guy and I just do it.”